# An end to my favorite Cigar Lounge?



## Nature (Jul 30, 2012)

I am very saddened and concerned that there may be an end to joining some fellow BOTL weekly at my favorite Cigar Lounge.

The Nebraska supreme court ruled on Friday that the smoking exemptions granted to Cigar bars and other tobacco retailers is unconstitutional. I know this does not affect very many people here, but it is a sign of the wave of the future. It essentially came down to a billiard hall challenging the Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act of 2008. This suit has been going on for 5 years. The billiard hall thought it wasn't fair for exemptions to be granted to some businesses, but not others. In the end, it will hurt everyone. I think they were hoping the entire law would be thrown out thus allowing smoking in their establishment as well.

Article

My hopes are that something can be worked out or it could be the end of my visits to the cigar bar. There was a brand new cigar bar opened near me this year. I can't imagine they would invest into an operation like this unless they knew there was a likelihood that the exemption in some form would continue. If nothing is developed, they may have to close in as few as 2 weeks or as long as 2 months (end of October). I don't believe it was the lawmakers' intent to not allow smoking in tobacco retailer establishments, or the exemption would never have been granted.


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## Trackmyer (Jun 6, 2014)

Though this thread just begs for me to :anim_soapbox: I will simply leave it at, "Thats a shame". Friggin' government.


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## dinoa2 (Feb 7, 2008)

between the FDA and over aggressive anti-smoking people, the end of a lot of things cigar related could be in works IMO. I dont know how the machine made cigar companies will be able to stay in business. In a worst case scenario, these may be the golden years of cigars for a long time to come. Enjoy whle we can


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## Mitch (Oct 2, 2009)

They wont end cigars that's silly. They make a lot of money on them. They are trying to figure out how to get max amount off them though. 

Sucks if they hit cigar shops/bars though

If they do ban them in America eventually, I can always get ISOM


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## r3gulator3 (Feb 9, 2014)

Ok, being from Council Bluffs, I go to cigar lounges in Omaha, Ne. It is a sad sad shame that they have done this. I think it's ridiculous as tobacco is how they make their money. They don't serve Food and you know it's a smoking establishment before you go in so why would you enter or work there if you weren't ok with that? It all just seems so crazy to me and it sucks as I too will miss out on going to places I once could to enjoy cigars. Guess I'll have to stick with Pandora in my chair on the porch.

What does ISOM mean?


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## El wedo del milagro (Jul 3, 2012)

ISOM: Island south of Miami.


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## jpalamar (Sep 7, 2014)

Sucks to see small businesses hurt by over regulation.


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## Nature (Jul 30, 2012)

As it stands now, the agencies are being lenient and waiting for a few weeks to begin enforcement. For now it's not a big deal as we usually sit on the patio out front and watch passers by on the street. Smoking will still be allowed outside, but when cold weather and early darkness hits, who will want to sit outside shivering their asses off in the dark for a few hours to enjoy a cigar? Here in Nebraska, it's like this for the next 5-6 months (or more). I'm afraid that without allowing smoking, my favorite cigar bar will become just another bar, and quite frankly, the only reason we went there, along with many others, was to have a cigar. This place attracted many out of town visitors as it was close to the convention center and patrons would go to this place downtown in the popular "Old Market" area to have a cigar.

@r3gulator3 What are the cigar smoking regs like in Iowa? I know they allow smoking in the casinos, but that is not the atmosphere I am comfortable in nor looking for. I know that not much exists in CB, but perhaps there is a window of opportunity for something to start up? This doesn't help the brothers in the rest of the state, like Lincoln and further west; but perhaps could benefit some in Omaha.?

I'm afraid my winter smoking will be limited to sitting beside a heater in my garage. out:


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## r3gulator3 (Feb 9, 2014)

I do also go to the same cigar lounge in the "old market" as well as one out in west "O" off of maple. There is nothing here in CB. However, There is still an exemption in Iowa for Cigar Lounges, The nearest 2 I know of there is one in Souix City, Ia and one In Clarenda, Ia. Both are about 90 miles from here. Maybe something will pop up in CB if the legislation stays in place in Nebraska. I know Harrah's casino has a small cigar shop inside. And you can Smoke in the casinos. I am not a fan of going to the casino, and I wish I had a garage to put a heater in. HAHA. Winter is looking pretty bleak at this point


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## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

Nature said:


> As it stands now, the agencies are being lenient and waiting for a few weeks to begin enforcement. For now it's not a big deal as we usually sit on the patio out front and watch passers by on the street. Smoking will still be allowed outside, but when cold weather and early darkness hits, who will want to sit outside shivering their asses off in the dark for a few hours to enjoy a cigar? Here in Nebraska, it's like this for the next 5-6 months (or more). I'm afraid that without allowing smoking, my favorite cigar bar will become just another bar, and quite frankly, the only reason we went there, along with many others, was to have a cigar. This place attracted many out of town visitors as it was close to the convention center and patrons would go to this place downtown in the popular "Old Market" area to have a cigar.
> 
> @r3gulator3 What are the cigar smoking regs like in Iowa? I know they allow smoking in the casinos, but that is not the atmosphere I am comfortable in nor looking for. I know that not much exists in CB, but perhaps there is a window of opportunity for something to start up? This doesn't help the brothers in the rest of the state, like Lincoln and further west; but perhaps could benefit some in Omaha.?
> 
> I'm afraid my winter smoking will be limited to sitting beside a heater in my garage. out:


Call me Idea Man. But if you wil end up smoking alone next to a heater, then won't those same other guys you smoke with at the lounge be doing the same thing themselves? 
Two options:
1 - The cigar lounge continues, but puts out one or two of those propane lamp heaters (they have them outside some bars in the city for cigarette smokers, and they do a nice area pretty warm, although I figure Nebraska might be different) in the winter so that everyone can continue to congregate there, and thus purchase cigars there and keep the shop running during the cold months. What constitutes "outside" may also come into play, if a tarped off area could be created and heated inside by some device(s) in a makeshift way. I'm no laywer, but I'd assume at the very least having those heaters would be legit.

2 - If the lounge closes you could always try to get some digits from your buddies beforehand and arrange some kind of garage gang herfs when you can. Maybe if others are doing the same, you could rotate the place that it's held at.

Just some hopefully helpful thoughts. Where there's a will, there's a way!


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

Sorry to hear that, Mark! While I'm a big supporter of certain legislation restricting tobacco use in public, I have to say that I feel this ruling and the fallout from it are complete bullshit :nod:


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## Nature (Jul 30, 2012)

SeanTheEvans said:


> Call me Idea Man. But if you wil end up smoking alone next to a heater, then won't those same other guys you smoke with at the lounge be doing the same thing themselves?
> Two options:
> 1 - The cigar lounge continues, but puts out one or two of those propane lamp heaters (they have them outside some bars in the city for cigarette smokers, and they do a nice area pretty warm, although I figure Nebraska might be different) in the winter so that everyone can continue to congregate there, and thus purchase cigars there and keep the shop running during the cold months. What constitutes "outside" may also come into play, if a tarped off area could be created and heated inside by some device(s) in a makeshift way. I'm no laywer, but I'd assume at the very least having those heaters would be legit.
> 
> ...


Well there is a sliver of hope as the State Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments from the cigar bars/ tobacconist stores why the exemption should not end. If that fails, some legislators have stated they would be in favor of sponsoring additional legislation in the next term in 2015 in support of allowing exemptions for cigar smoking.

You are right Sean. There are probably some creative ways of creating a comfortable outdoor smoking area. Although this might be more difficult for several of the shops as they are located in strip malls with the shared parking lot right out their door, I think something could be done. I believe the law defines the "outdoors" as not having walls greater than 7 feet tall. In fact, I know of a bar here that has an outside covered deck surrounded by 7 Ft walls, and about a foot gap at the top. They use it to accommodate mostly cigarette smoking patrons of the bar, but an occasional cigar smoker can be found there as well. They have Natural gas ceramic heaters mounted near the ceilings in colder months.

Barring all that, the shops/lounges may have to get creative. There may be a period of difficulty, but I am more hopeful that a solution will eventually be found.


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